Ballyhaunis beat the drop as history catches up on The Neale

Mayo SFC Relegation Final 

Ballyhaunis 1-10

The Neale 1-7 

For a brief moment towards the end of this senior relegation final, some memories came flooding back as The Neale mounted a late fightback against Ballyhaunis. But the drama of last year when the men from Cong dumped Davitts to intermediate fell just short of being repeated, as they too drop to Tier 2 football for 2024.

They did go down fighting, after it had looked like Saturday’s contest was well and truly over with Ballyhaunis 1-9 to 0-5 in front and only eight minutes remaining.

Few at the Garrymore venue could have predicted how close this would actually finish.

In highlighting The Neale’s frailties this year, substitute Dylan Keane entered from the bench and bizarrely became his side’s top scorer on the day, despite introduced with only eight minutes of normal time remaining.

Keane also played a role in setting up David McGrath who fisted over a point before Keane himself buried home 1-1 inside three minutes, which left The Neale, all of a sudden, trailing by just two, 1-9 to 1-7, with 90 seconds of normal time still to play.

They hunted a second late goal but after Ballyhaunis were awarded a dubious free that was converted by Jason Coyne to restore a three-point lead entering stoppage-time, that elusive goal just did not come and the 2019 intermediate champions return to those ranks.

Like many of their games this year, David Coyle’s men started well and were very much in this tie after 25-minutes but periods on each side of the interval cost them dearly.

In the final five minutes of the first-half, along with almost six minutes of added time, Ballyhaunis hit home 1-2 without reply, which would prove crucial.

The goal was scored by wing-back Jack Carney after he got on the end of a long ball in from Mayo defender Jack Coyne, who was operating at centre-back. Points from Liam Herr and a free by Jason Coyne, who kicked 0-8 in total, left the East Mayo men with a 1-5 to 0-3 lead at the break.

Earlier, David McGrath had registered the first score of the game from a free and quickly added a mark before Tommy Conroy got his first pointed free, but Ballyhaunis kept in touch with two frees by Jason Coyne and a belter from his brother, and Man of the Match, Jack.

Tommy Conroy may have reduced the margin shortly after the break with his second free but then it became the Jason Coyne show as he kicked four unanswered points for Ballyhaunis, two from frees and two from play, before substitute Fergal Sweeney pulled one back for The Neale, who still trailed 1-9 to 0-5 heading into the final ten minutes.

The Neale’s management introduced ample substitutes and they had an impact, especially Eoghan O’Halloran and Dylan Keane, who proved very hot to handle for the Ballyhaunis defence.

But Brian O’Halloran, having first been shown a black card midway through the second-half, returned only to then receive a yellow from referee Kieran Barnicle which meant The Neale finished the game with fourteen players.

They fought and they fought but no miracle was to happen on this occasion.

Ballyhaunis can be particularly proud of the efforts of veteran Keith Higgins, who was named in the forwards but played much deeper, orchestrating his defence throughout.

He was aided by the outstanding Jack Coyne who limited county teammate Tommy Conroy’s involvement, which was always going to prove crucial in the eventual outcome.

Scorers – Ballyhaunis: Jason Coyne 0-8 (6f), Jack Carney 1-0, Jack Coyne and Liam Herr 0-1 each.

The Neale: Dylan Keane 1-1, David McGrath 0-3 (1f, 1m), Tommy Conroy 0-2f, Fergal Sweeney 0-1.

Ballyhaunis: Adrian Phillips; Conor Freeley, Johnny Cunnane, Liam Herr; Patrick Kiely, Jack Coyne, Jack Carney; Cormac Phillips, Kevin Byrne; Joe Sutton, Keith Higgins, Eoghan Collins; Aidan Sloyan, Eamonn Phillips, Jason Coyne. Subs: Cathal Carney (for E Phillips 48), Brian O’Neill (for Collins 52), Conor Henry (for Sutton 60+3).

The Neale: Cian Hughes; Steven Conroy, Michéal Varley, Stephen Morrin; Peter Molloy, Dan Kelly, Ollie Warde; Jamie Kelly, Daragh Moran; Killian McHugh, Adam Flynn, Brian O’Halloran; David McGrath, Tommy Conroy, James Luskin. Subs: Fergal Sweeney (for McHugh 22), James Daly (for Luskin 30+2), Aiden O’Sullivan (for Moran 41), Eoghan O’Halloran (for O’Sullivan 48, inj), Dylan Keane (for S Conroy 52).

REF: Kieran Barnicle (Breaffy)